Saturday Shutout win secures FredNats winning record in 2025

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - With a 5-0 shutout of the Carolina Mudcats on Saturday night at Virginia Credit Union Stadium, the Fredericksburg Nationals (35-28, 65-63) guaranteed themselves a winning record in 2025 in the penultimate game of the regular season.

R.J. Sales took the ball for his sixth FredNat start since the all-star break and dominated from the jump. The righty fired five scoreless frames and tallied eight strikeouts, falling one shy of his career high. Sales had at least one strikeout in each inning, highlighted by striking out the side in the third.

Sales got to pitch with a lead after the second inning, too. After Tyler Renz sat down the first five FredNats in order, Luke Dickerson drew a two-out walk and Angel Feliz backspun a high drive over the right field wall, dunking it into the visitor’s bullpen for a two-run home run and a 2-0 lead.

The FredNats scored three more times in the fifth against Renz, getting two on a Mudcat error and another via a Brenner Cox RBI single.

The FredNats only had three total hits in the game, but that was enough, as four relievers combined to keep the shutout alive and finish the game 5-0. With just one more game to play in the regular season on Sunday, the FredNats will finish above .500 and take their winning record to the 2025 Carolina League Playoffs. They’re back in action for the regular season finale on Sunday, starting at 1:35.